Decide whether each statement is fact or fiction, then scroll down for the answers.

Questions

I need to burn to get a tan.

We all need to spend a long time in the sun to help us keep healthy.

You're more likely to get sunburnt abroad than in the UK.

Fake tans protect against UV rays from the sun.

My skin always goes pink in the sun – it's not sunburn, just part of the tanning process.

I won't burn if I use sunscreen.

Fact or fiction – the answers

1. Fiction: I need to burn to get a tan

Burning or going red is a sign that you have damaged the DNA in your skin cells.

UV rays can penetrate deep into the skin's layers and change the DNA in our skin cells. Cells damaged by ultraviolet (UV) rays are at greater risk of mutating and then dividing uncontrollably, which is what happens in cancer.

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If you have fair or freckly skin that tends to burn, you are at greater risk of damage to your skin cells.

2. Fiction: we all need to spend a long time in the sun to help us keep healthy

Vitamin D is essential for good health and is produced when skin is exposed to UV rays, as well as being present in certain foods, like oily fish.

3. Fiction: you're more likely to get sunburnt abroad than in the UK

Most people think about sunburn as something that happens on holiday or in hot, sunny places.

But most cases of sunburn actually seem to happen in the UK, rather than abroad. And many cases happen when people are out and about, rather than deliberately 'sunbathing'.

You may be outdoors watching sport, doing the gardening, walking round town or just sitting in the park.

4. Fiction: fake tans protect against UV rays from the sun

Fake tan changes the colour of your skin and gives you a tanned look.

While some fake tan products do contain added sunscreen, these will only give protection for a few hours after you put the fake tan on.

The protection won't last as long as the change in your skin colour does. People who use fake tan need to continue to protect themselves in the sun and take care not to burn.

You should never use fake tans as an excuse to stay out longer in the sun.

5. Fiction: my skin always goes pink in the sun – it's not sunburn, just part of the tanning process

If your skin has gone any shade of red in the sun, it is sunburnt – it does not have to be red-raw, peeling or blistering. When UV radiation damages the DNA in your skin cells, your body tries to repair the damage.

The blood vessels in the local area swell, allowing blood to rush into it. This is why sunburn looks red.

Blood inside your body is also hot, which is why it feels like sunburns give off heat. The wider blood vessels allow the cells of your immune system to travel to the site of the damage.

They also release chemicals which trigger inflammation – which is why sunburn can be swollen and painful.

So sunburn is a sign that your body is trying to repair the damage that it has suffered.

6. Fiction: I won't burn if I use sunscreen

We recommend you use sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15 – and the higher the better. However, no sunscreen, whether it's factor 15 or 50, will give the protection it claims unless you apply it properly, and no sunscreen can give 100 per cent protection.

Sunscreen only works if you use enough – for an average person this means around two teaspoonfuls to cover your head, neck and arms in normal day-to-day clothes, and two tablespoonfuls if you're in a swimming costume. If you don't put enough on, it's impossible to compensate by using a higher factor.

Sunscreen can easily be washed, rubbed or sweated off so reapply it frequently. Many people burn more frequently when they use higher factors of sunscreen, probably because they stay out for longer in the sun.

Don't use sunscreen as an excuse to bake or let higher factors lure you into a false sense of security – protect yourself by using other measures as well, such as spending time in the shade when the sun is at its strongest, or by covering commonly burnt areas, like the shoulders and face, with clothing and a hat.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.